Sling TV vs FuboTV: How They Compare

If you’re thinking of cutting the cord, you are probably well aware of all of the great options that are available to help you replace cable. There are several streaming services out there and they are all competing for your business. For new customers, this is great news. That said, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which service is going to be the right pick. If that’s the case, sometimes comparison shopping can help make the decision easier. With that in mind, let’s look at two of today’s most popular streaming services: Sling TV vs fuboTV.

Which service is right for you? Which channel lineup is the best? Which service offers the best value overall? All of these questions, and more, will be answered in our Sling TV vs fuboTV comparison.

Sling TV and fuboTV Similarities

Before we bring up the differences between Sling TV and fuboTV, let’s look at the many similarities that the two services share. This brief overview will give you a look at some things that both of these services offer. Both Sling TV and fuboTV are:

Contract-free allowing you to cancel at any time

Good options if you’re looking to replace cable

Generally, more affordable than your average cable contract

Allows you to watch many of the most popular channels live without cable

Works using the Internet as opposed to with cable

Allows you to use a variety of devices from streaming like mobile devices, Roku, computers, and more

Both Sling TV and fuboTV have a lot to offer and are good options for a cable TV replacement. With either option you’ll have access to many popular channels and will save money compared to your standard cable contract. Most importantly, both services will allow you to watch sports online, along with news, popular TV shows, and even movies.

Now that we’ve covered some of the basics, let’s delve deeper into this Sling TV vs fuboTV comparison so you can learn more!

Sling TV vs fuboTV: At a Glance

In this section, we’re going to look at some important factors, so you have a better idea of what each service has to offer. We’ll go into more details below, but if you’re in a hurry, this should give you an idea of what each service provides.

Price/Value – Sling TV offers the more affordable plan, starting at $25/month (fuboTV starts at $55). Sling also gives you a chance to customize your package, which allows you to add more channels without paying too much for them.

Channel Selection – Both services are fairly similar in this regard. With add-ons both services offer over 100 channels. The main difference is that fuboTV starts you off with over 95 channels and Sling starts you with 30-50 depending on the package. That said, Sling makes sure you can create a package where you’re paying for the channels you want, not the ones you’re stuck with.

Features – Both Sling TV and fuboTV offer live TV and an on-demand library. You can use TV Everywhere apps with both, as well. fuboTV includes a cloud-DVR, but with Sling TV you’ll have to pay for it. Both services allow simultaneous streaming on two devices and upgrades are available if you need more. So, in the end, other than the DVR, these services are fairly similar in this department.

Device Compatibility – Sling TV and fuboTV both work on Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices. The main difference is that Sling TV will also work on Xbox One and fuboTV doesn’t have compatibility with any gaming consoles.

Deals & Free Trial – Both Sling and fuboTV offer a one-week trial offer. Sling often offers special deals to new members and fuboTV gives you $10 off your first month of service, after your free trial.

At a glance, Sling TV is the more affordable option with more room for customization, but fuboTV offers more channels including more local and sports coverage. Ultimately, both services have a lot to offer. It just depends on what you want in a package.

With that in mind, let’s explore a little deeper by looking at the Sling TV vs fuboTV channel lineup.

Sling TV vs fuboTV Channels

A full comparison between these two services is a bit difficult because Sling TV offers three packages and fuboTV offers one. That said, here are the basics of the channel lineups for both services.

Sling TV offers three packages:

Sling Orange: Over 30 channels are included for $25 per month. Package highlights include AMC, Cartoon Network, ESPN, HGTV, TBS, TNT, and more.

Sling Orange + Blue: 50+ channels for $40 a month. This combines the two packages into one offering everything that both packages offer for a more complete package.

Add on Packages: Want more channels? With add-on packages you’ll get anywhere from 5-10 additional channels for as low as $5-$10 per month. You can add as many packages as you want and cancel any at any time.

fuboTV has one package:

With fuboTV your package includes over 95 channels including a wide range of sports, news, and general entertainment. There are also add-on packages to get even more channels. Plans include:

Add-on Packages: A wide selection of add-on packages are available offering anywhere from a few channels to as many as 30. Plans range in price from as low as $4.99 to as much as $30 for NBA League Pass coverage.

If you’d like to see complete package offerings you can visit Sling TV and fuboTV for more details.

In order to give you a somewhat fair comparison, let’s look at Sling Orange + Blue and fuboTV’s main plan in a variety of areas.

fuboTV has more total sports networks and is especially great for those who want to follow their local MLB/NBA teams or who love soccer. However, fuboTV does not carry ESPN at this time, so if that’s important to you, Sling TV will be the better choice.

While fuboTV started at as a sports-only streaming service, they have added many entertainment channels over time as well. However, Sling TV still has a greater selection of entertainment channels at this time.

Local Channels = fuboTV is the winner, as there is the potential for you to receive CBS, FOX, and NBC based on your location. Sling TV only offers NBC and FOX, but even then, the coverage area is extremely limited. Neither service offers ABC.

Sports Channels = fuboTV was originally a sports streaming service and today you get over 30 sports channels per package, plus the chance to add more. The main benefit to Sling TV is that they offer ESPN and it’s not available on fuboTV. That said, if you want regional and international sports options, fuboTV is the clear choice.

News Channels = fuboTV just edges out Sling TV as they offer the big three cable news networks and Sling TV only includes CNN.

Entertainment Channels = Sling TV is a good choice here because you get more entertainment channels and the ability to add more on. fuboTV has a great lineup, but they lack some popular channels like Disney, Freeform, and Discovery.

Keep in mind that all of this is up to interpretation and doesn’t explore the vast combinations of packages that can be created with channel add-ons. For full details, make sure to check out Sling TV and fuboTV.

Sling TV vs fuboTV: Final Thoughts

For most people, this may come down to price. Sling TV is the cheapest option here, by far. fuboTV offers more channels, but Sling TV allows for a greater amount of customization. It’s amazing that Sling TV offers packages from $25 and then allows you to build your package from there. This gives you more say in what’s in your plan and what you’re paying for. You can visit our Sling TV review to learn more.

That said, fuboTV excels in the area of local and sports coverage. They also offer a cloud-DVR with your package while Sling TV does not. You can check out our fuboTV review for more information.

Honestly, both services offer something to appreciate and could work for most streamers. Both services are contract-free and offer free trials so that you know what you’re getting into before you pay for anything.